Hydraulic air-compressor.



A. 0. GIRARD. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7. 1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

WITNESSES A. O. GIRARD. Y nYDRAULG AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1911.

Patented Oct. V31, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i i I i n@ WV l .ALFE'EB G. GIRZSRD, OF MILVAUKEE, WSCNSIN, ASSIGNOR 'l AMER-ICAIJ HY- DELLULEG AIR-CMPRESSCR CGMPANY; A CRPRATIE OFYNISCGNSIN. f

HYDRULC AIR-COMPRESSR.

ya.' Knr n amido.

Airompressors, of which the `following' a specication. v

My prcslit invention has to dowith hyl c air compressors; and it consists, as hereinafter described and claimed, in the peculiar and advantageous means for entraining air with water as the latter passes into a pipe ctnstitut-ing a descending conduit, and in the pee-lar and advantageous means tor .celeratnf the separation of from the water in t e chamber in which the coinu pression the air takes place. I

ln the drawings whichare. aeoy made a part hereof: Figure l is a vertical section of a hydraulic air-compressing apparatus constituting the best practical embodiment oi my invention that I have as yet devised. Fie'. Q a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the receiving end oithe vertically disposed pipe positioned in the holder is adapted to receive water -romany suitable source of supply, and also illustrating my novel lioatand the air-,entraine ing means thereon, 'as properly arranged in the body ot' water in the holder and relative to said vertically disposed pipe. Fig. 3 is a detail plan illustrative of the upper end of the float and the air-entraining means thereon. Fig'. 4l is a. horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. l, looking downward, and illustrating the means for accelerating or promoting the separation of the entrained air from the Vwat-er in the chamber where the compression of the air takes place. Figs. o and 6 are transverse vertical sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines 5--5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 4, looking toward the left. i y

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings referring to which: .c

A is a holderl for water, open to the at- Inosphere at its top and adapted to be supplied with water from any source and in any manner consonant 'with the purpose ot my invention. Extending upward into the said holder A is a vertically disposed pipe Specification of ietters la'tent.'

filed January 7, 391i. Serial No.

Get. Sig 3191i. aciers.

B that is calculated to form a descending' conduit for water, and surrounding that portion ofthe pipe that is within the holder A is the outer cylinder C or" my novel float. in addition to the outer cylinder C men.- tioned in the foregoing, the peculiar and advantageous float comprises a buoyant annulus l) that is connected by straps E or otherwise to the lower portion of the cylinder C and surrounds the saine, an inner cylinder F neatly dtted within the pipe B so as to guide the float in its rectilinear movements and prevent binding of the float in or on the pipe, an outwardly extending G, of convenztorm in cross-section, termed integral with the cylinder F and reaching above and beyond the npperedge or" the outer: vcylinder C andliaving depending portion g bolted or otherwise lined to these-id cylinder C at Zz', and a brace or braces 'i interposed between and connected to the upper port-ions of the cylinders C and F, in order to strengthen the connection. v

oit the said cylinders pend at the same time hold the cylinders in proper spaced'relation. By reason ot the described construction of the float, the saine is enabled to freely move up and down with respect to the pipe B,

' and is also enabled to guide a proper strata -buoyant device may be employed without involving departure from the scope of-my invention as claimed. I would have it. understood, however, that the arrangement of the annular float around the lower end of cylinders F and C vertically' without liability of. binding of the same against the F iXedl in suitable mannerupon the flange Gc of my novel float and extending upward and inward from said `flange, are vertical radially disposed blades H which constitute the novel air-entraining means ofmy invention. The said blades are tapered at their A the outer cylinder C is advantageous since it enables the float to move the two connected outer ends, as indicated by )'12, and are adapt-- ed as the layer of water tlows horizontally between thein and into the inner cylinder l?, to cleave the water so that considerable air is entrained with the water as the same enters the descending conduit. It will also be olgwscrved by reference to the drawings that the buoyancy ot the tloat is such as to maintain the blades l'rl in the same hori xontal plane as the upper portion ot the body otyater, so that in passing,` into the cylinder l? of the tloatthe water is coinpelled to pass over the convex flange G and between th e blades H. It will also be appreciated at this point that the capacity ot the blades "Pl in promoting the cntraining ett air with the inllowing` water is due largely lo the tact that the blades ll cleave the water,

i and permit the portions of water to come tolg'ether immediately after leaving the blunt inner ends of the blades and at the com inencement of the descent ol' the water in the descending conduit. the etlieiency ot the blades ll in promotingr the entraining of air in the fater, the said blades aresimple and inexpensive in con struction and are well adapted to withstand the action ot' water. llloreover, by rlason ot the blades being entirely esposedat the upper end ot the descending;` conduit, there is little or no liability olf the spaces between the blades becmning` clogged by debris or other foreign matter, but in the event et such matter lodging,` between any two of the blades the space can be expeditiously and easily cleared as soon as the lodged matter is di covered.

lt 'will be gathered from the 'foregoing that by reason ot the employn'ient ot the float described, my novel apparatus is adapted to operate irrespective of Variations in the height or" the water supplied to the holder nikand does not require the attention ot any person, which of course conduces to economy in the maintenance ot the apparatus, l

The construction thus tar described in detail constitutes what l terni the intake means of the hydraulic air compressor.

At its lower end the pipe B communieates with a chamber l which, without in relying departure from the scope ot my invention, may be of any suitable shape J is an ascending water conduit which extends from the chamber l, preferably at the point illustrated with respect to the conduit A. f

K an air delivery pipe leading out olf Notwithstanding ce menons shown, in order to prevent the noise which would attend the discharge trom said pipe into the atmosphere. a

As clearly shown in Fig. l, the conduit or pipe B connminicates with the top ot the chamber l, and below the discharge end, ot the said pipe and ananged on a suitable base or foundation m a. channel l having` a bottom wall r and side walls The said channel l slightly curved vertically in the direction ol its length, Fig. l, so as to cause the water as it leaves the pipe te take a coursev at approximate right angles to the said pipe, and by reference to l*1 ig. fl-

it will be noted that the opstanding channel f 7alls are disposed at an angle to the horizontal line ot movement of the water, with the. result that in moving toward the ascending conduit J the water will forcibly bring up against one of the opstanding walls a and will be thrown to and tro between the said walls. This agitatipn or manipulation oit the water will have the eiiectoli prometn ing and accelerating the separation ot entrained air troni the water, and in that way will. contribute to the etlieiency of the ap paralns as a whole. It will also be noticed here that the agitation or manipulation out the water for the purpose described is, by reason ot lthe specific construction referred to, acconiplished without diverting' the water :troni its approximately horizontal course, and without appreciably retarding the pz. sage ci? the water or otherwise all'ectinpr the general opera tion and reducing the air-cord pressing capacity ol the apparatus a whole. For the purpose oit tnrther assuring? the separation olf the entrained air from the water, l provide in advance of the base or foundation m and below the discharge end ot the channel l), the series of tort-nous or serpentine channels Q1, best shown in 4. rlhe bntteting ot the water in the manner described between the upstandingl walls s of the channel P, assures the separation ont the or portion ot the entrained air from the water, and during the "tall ot' the water 'lrom the channel P to the channels and the subsequent tortuous passage ot the water through 'the channels Q, 'theremainder ot' the entrained air will be freed from the water.

In the operation of the apparatus, the water flows from the holder A through the float and the pipe B, and is discharged from the lower end of the pipe B upon the channel P, which serves the olilce of a detlector as before described. As the Water liows into the inner cylinder F of the float on its way' to the pipe B, air is entrained with the water. This air when released or separated troni th e water in the chamber l is subjected to the pressure of the water column in the ascending conduit J. After the separation ot the entra-ined air from the Water, the

`fiows oli from the same through a tail race R, or other suitable means provided for the purpose.

Vhile I have shown and described one form at my invention, it is to be understood that I am not limited to the details of parts disclosed, but thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the scope ot' y the invention as defined in the claims appended.

Having .lescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In the intake means et a hydraulic air compressor, the combi-nation of a descending conduit having an outwardly extending convex portion surrounding its receiving end and also having vertical adially-disposed blades extending upward and inward from the convex portion; said blades being separated by intervening spaces and being provided with tapered outer ends and blunt iuncr ends, and a water-holder containing the upper bortion ofthe descending conduit and open to the atmosphere.

L). ln the intake means of a hydraulic air compressor, the combination of a descending conduit open at its upper or receiving end and having vertical, radially-disposed blades extending upward from said receiving end and also extending horizontally out vard and inward from said end, and a waterholdcr containing the upper portion of the descending conduit and open to the atmosphcre.

Il. ln the intake means ot a hydraulic air compressor, the combination ot a pipe constituting a descending conduit, a waterholder containing the upper portion of the said pipe and open to the atmosphere, and a lloal. movable vertically in said waterholder and comprising an inner cylinder movable vertically in and guided b y the upper portion oll the pipe and having an outwardly extending convex fiange at its upper end and also having a portion depending from said iange, an outer cylinder iixed to said depending portion ot the tlange and urrounding the upper portion o'l the pipe, bracing means extending directly between and connected to the upper portions of the two cylinders7 a. buoyant annulus surrounding and connected with the lower end of the outer cylinder, and vertically radiallydisposed blades lixed to and extending upward and inward from the said convex llange of the inner cylinder; said blades being separated by intervening spaces and being tapered at their outer ends and blunt at their inner ends.

4. In a hydraulic air-compressor. the combination ol a compressed-air chamber, an ascending water conduit crmununitaiting with said. chamber, a descending conduit communicating with and extemliiig upward from the chamber and having air-entraining means on its upper portion, a water holder containing the upper portion of the descending conduit and open to lthe almosphere, an air-delivery pipe leading out of the upper portion ot the compressed-air chamber, and a channeled delleclf arranged in the said chamber and under the desc-cnding conduit and disposed apl'lroximately horizontal to turn the water toward the .ascending conduit and having upslanding 'A IJFR l1] l) (l l RARI).

llVitnesscs: Y

lnimr It). Baumes, Tnonas F. Tuurin. 

